Your calls always answered within 5 rings.
As usual Jerry has been absolutely fantastic keeping us really well informed. Thanks for everything.
Superb as ever
The upgrade to Club for both flights was very successful. The ability to use BA lounges makes a lot of difference to the overall comfort of travel. For once both flights were on time and our hotel was just as expected, but exceptionally busy.
Thank you Chris. Everything went very smoothly. I shall be in touch next time I travel
Jackson is first class
I wouldn’t recommend Celebrity as it was discovered the mattresses were severely soiled by previous users (we’d had them 6 days so this discovery was shocking). It took 10 hours and 4 visits to Guest Services to (partially) resolve by which time I’d noticed other problems with the cabin. Not a great experience
Curtis and Finn thank you once again for the excellent service. You arranged my daughter's flight from South Africa saving her money. You also arranged our flights and hotel in Santorini which were great. I must say the hotel was excellent, the staff were so friendly and helpful I would recommend it to others. So thank you once again for your outstanding service. Both my daughter and I will be using you again soon.
Your help and attention to detail was much appreciated. All excellent.
Food in hotel was disappointing, staff were brilliant
Good hotel, flight on time, all good.
Although the airline were notified my wife needed wheelchair assistance, they had not been made aware she also needed the lift onto the plane. Fortunately, this was quickly rectified by the special assistance staff. Staff at our hotel were immensely caring and supportive of her needs during our stay. We cannot praise them highly enough.
Marshall Finnimore is excellent - he delivers every time.
Ray went above and beyond to find us the perfect trip - and it was
Private transfer was good. Hotel good and staff lovely. Shower was an odd design and leaked every time it was used. Food good. Lots of steep slopes and stairs so no good for anyone with a mobility issue although golf buggies were on call if needed. Lovely and quiet but walking distance to small town.
Brilliant holiday cruise in the Mediterranean, good stop off destinations, Very helpful and friendly staff on board. Followed on by five days in Lisbon at the amazing Convent Square Hotel where again the staff were wonderful and nothing wwas too much trouble. Thanks to Abbie for putting it together for us.
Scott was so helpful from start to finish. Everything was 100%
Brilliant all round
Hannah Kennedy provided an excellent service from start to completion of our holiday. We were provided with various different options and she was always available to answer any questions. We will certainly be using Hannah's services on our next trip.
As always, you are my ‘go to’ when travelling. You’re professional and a pleasure to work with. Thank you
Everything was well organised and location was perfect. Thank you
Jonathan Greaves as usual excellent
Ben Till was absolutely amazing in arranging the perfect holiday to Daios Cove. He was so helpful and made sure we had the perfect holiday yet again. We cannot thank him enough. We will continue to recommend him and DialAFlight
Another great trip. Loved the hotel and private transfers on time in nice cars. Thank you Charlie
Nice hotel. Pity about the music bars across the road open until 5am. Not to be recommended if you want a good night's sleep.
Really helpful staff and ALWAYS help me with anything I need. Takes the stress out of travelling
Once again, first class service from Kylie and the team at DialAFlight. We were able to go on holiday with complete confidence that our travel arrangements were in safe hands.
I have dealt with Brody for a number of years and each time he has given me special attention. Our trip to Kefalonia was magical and we are already planning for next year.
Seat allocation on the plane was bad. In future I would pay a fee earlier to book seats. Also a mix up with rooms meant that certain members of the family could not eat breakfast with the rest in the same restaurant Overall it was a fantastic place and a great holiday
I always find DialAFlight very helpful and easy to deal with
Ian Newton is nothing short of a miracle worker. I regularly share his contact details with family and friends and was delighted to be able to use his professional knowledge and efficient services when I joined STM two years ago. Thank you DialAFlight!
Having just re-read Victoria Hislop's novel The Island, my mind was full of images of olive groves and small fishing villages hugging rocky coastlines, with friendly locals offering food and drink to die for - and in Crete my literary-inspired imaginings came true.
If you take an early flight from the UK you can be eating Greek salad on the beach by lunchtime - and of course I'm used to being up well before the crack of dawn to host ITV's Good Morning Britain.
Enticed by the promise of exclusive elegance, we stayed at the Daios Cove Luxury Resort and Villas, less than an hour from Heraklion airport - from where we were whisked in an air-conditioned limo.
At Daios Cove, the first thing that hits you is the glorious view across the Aegean Sea. The resort is laid out beneath you - four different levels cut into the cliff-face, as well as an infinity pool and a private beach.
The resort was the vision of owner Dimitris Daios. His aim was to create 'luxury a different way', and certainly every detail has been thought through.
Each of the 39 villas has a private heated pool and they are set along one side of the cove, all with unspoilt views and privacy.
To get to our villa we were whizzed off in a golf buggy, which gave us the distinctive feel of being in James Bond's Moonraker. Our two-storey villa was so spacious we could have had a floor each. It had a pillow menu and even a choice of fragrance to have pumped into the air-conditioning system.
Delicious local food
Greek salads, grilled fish, seafood and souvlaki are my favourite holiday foods, and all were in abundance at Daios Cove.
The buffet restaurant, The Pangea, has a large selection of regional and international dishes, and several are cooked in front of you. There's also a formal Mediterranean restaurant, as well as Greek specialities at the Taverna Restaurant. However, my favourite meal was a private candlelit dinner served in the courtyard of our villa.
To help work off calories, there are plenty of watersports, including kayaking and paddle-boarding. You can also zip around the bay on an inflatable doughnut.
On land there's tennis, yoga and Pilates - but even that seemed too energetic as I was making the most of having a week of complete relaxation. The extent of my exertions was reading a book while floating on a lilo.
My excuse was that getting around the resort keeps you fit - being built over four levels means there are hundreds of steps, and we walked everywhere. If you don't fancy being so energetic, you can summon a golf buggy or use the funicular.
There's plenty to keep guests entertained in the evening. We went to a sparkling comedy show from the Feta Queen, Katerina Vrana, who poked fun at both the Greek and the British.
To help with the total relaxation process, there's a huge spa. I chose a bliss-fully relaxing massage as well as a facial.
Visiting the islands
We made it to Spinalonga, the former leper colony featured in The Island, on our final morning. The colony is a short hop across the sea from the village of Plaka. For anyone who has read the novel, it's a hugely evocative trip - you can imagine those who faced that journey for real as they were banished to the island and forced to leave their families behind.
Even for those who haven't read the book, you get a real sense of how those confined there for years had to create a community until a cure for leprosy was found in the 1950s. It feels even more eerie now that it's deserted, apart from tourists meandering around.
Back in Plaka there are quaint streets and buildings that haven't changed for years. Not to be missed is Giovanni's Taverna, where we received a delightfully warm welcome from the owner, Yanni.
The taverna is everything you would hope for, with a truly authentic feel. The marinated anchovies are delicious, and Yanni's tomato and olive oil dip made to his grandmother's recipe is exquisite.
I was delighted my experience of Crete lived up to expectations from reading The Island - and if you go, don't forget to pack it as a must-read holiday book.
First published in the Mail on Sunday - July 2019
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